Umzinto
| Umzinto | |
|---|---|
 Umzinto
Umzinto
Umzinto
Umzinto shown within KwaZulu-Natal
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| Coordinates: 30°19′S 30°40′E / 30.317°S 30.667°ECoordinates: 30°19′S 30°40′E / 30.317°S 30.667°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District | Ugu |
| Municipality | Umdoni |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.49 km2 (4.82 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 16,205 |
| • Density | 1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 55.2% |
| • Coloured | 1.9% |
| • Indian/Asian | 41.7% |
| • White | 0.4% |
| • Other | 0.7% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • English | 47.9% |
| • Zulu | 40.0% |
| • Xhosa | 8.9% |
| • Other | 3.1% |
| PO box | 4200 |
| Area code | 039 |
Umzinto is a town 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) inland from Park Rynie on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in the Umdoni Local Municipality which is under the Ugu District Municipality. It was a sugarcane growing area and the town was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. The first public company in Natal was established at Umzinto in 1858. Umzinto has grown and developed to a self-sustaining urban place.
"Umzinto" is said to be derived from the Zulu "umenzi wezinto", meaning "the kraal [or place] of accomplishment".
Unofficially, Umzinto was at one time the capital of Alexandra County, a district that also includes the areas and suburbs surrounding the towns of Scottburgh, Umkomaas, and Sezela-Pennington. Umzinto hosted two class-A cricket matches at the Alexandra Memorial Ground, one on 2 March 1974, when Natal B hosted Griqualand West in the Currie Cup Section B, and again on 19 March 1977, when Natal B faced Border in the same contest.
According to an urban legend, the town's name derived from a visit by two men, one of whom was named Um. On encountering a stream, the men decided to cross it but Um did not notice the crocodile lurking beneath the surface. Subsequently, Um was attacked by the crocodile, and bitten in half. "Um's in two!" his friend exclaimed. The legend has been ascribed to Jonathan Swift but Swift died in 1745, decades before the British encountered the region.
Today, Umzinto remains a semi-urban town, with not much progress compared to its neighbouring town of Scottburgh. This is due to the Group Areas Act of the previous Apartheid era. It was once the home of three large textile mills, namely Alitex, Bally Spinning Mills and MYM Textiles that used to export abroad. Today only one survives and is not as productive as it used to be. Consequently, this has affected the economy of Umzinto negatively.
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Wikipedia